A Dozen Little Lives
by ConfusedColumbia26220
Summary: Regina Mills doesn't know she's the Evil Queen. She has children before she adopts Henry. Swan Queen is endgame. Some strong language. Rating to go up in future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Regina Mills was the Mayor of Storybrooke. She'd created the town as part of the Dark Curse as the Evil Queen, but she didn't remember that. In order to truly have a fresh start, she too needed to forget.

There were some key things she kept, however. She remembered her awful mother who spared her no affection, her adoring father who had passed, and Daniel, the fiance she had lost. She also remembered to hold onto her dislike for Snow/Mary Margaret. She held onto her ability to instill fear in others when it was needed.

Most importantly, she kept her youth. She would be perpetually 30 for the next hundred years, should the curse last that long.

Storybrooke came to be in 1983, but many of its residents recalled it being their home for as long as they could remember. For as long as Regina could remember, she had been the town's mayor. It was her domain.

Storybrooke life was simple, rather quaint and boring, until she one day found herself to be pregnant in mid-1994.

It was a Saturday in June. The 11th.

It didn't sink in quite yet then. She waited a week. On the 18th, another positive test.

The following Saturday, the 25th, Regina had an appointment with Dr. Whale that confirmed it. By that point, she was 8 weeks along. The heartbeat couldn't be heard, but it could be seen on the ultrasound as a slight flicker if you paid attention.

Regina cried, and threatened to pull Whale's license if he spoke a word of it to anybody. Mayor Mills was not known to be a soft woman. She wanted to keep it that way as long as possible.

The good doctor still managed to get in a, "Congratulations, Mayor Mills," before the woman's glare sent him scurrying out of the room to give her privacy.

A baby. Who the hell in the world decided Regina would know what to do with a baby? She didn't have the slightest clue as to what maternal love looked like.

As if that wasn't overwhelming enough, Regina knew she had to wait another month before telling anyone about it at all, as the majority of things that could go wrong usually happened within the first trimester.

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" she whispered to herself, pressing the heels of her hands into her closed eyes, the tips of her fingers lightly tugging at the hair closest to her scalp.

By early August, Regina was more comfortable with the idea of raising a tiny human. Nothing bad happened in the danger zone of the first trimester. But now... Now she had to tell people. Well, maybe not people. But a person.

"You called, Madame Mayor?" asked the Sheriff, entering her office.

Regina was sitting at her desk, one leg crossed over the other in her habitual way, while she still had that ability. "No need for the formalities, Graham. The call was personal. Have a seat."

Graham cocked an eyebrow at her, taking the seat across from her as told, looking around their surroundings before settling his eyes on her. "Really? Here?"

If the desk wasn't in her way, Regina would have kicked him in the shin for that insinuation. "Did I say this was a booty call?"

Graham smirked in amusement. "You never do. I believe this is the first time I've heard the term come from your lips."

Regina sighed. "Graham, do you want children?"

Graham jolted, surprised. "Uh..." He gaped like a fish out of water. "Excuse me?"

"It's a simple question. Do you want children?"

"Uhm." The Sheriff blinked and tried to concentrate. "I... Well, I guess I haven't really given it much thought."

Regina smiled darkly. "Sounds like you're not ready. Do you see any children in your life five years down the line? Ten?"

"Not at the rate things are going..." Graham swallowed. She was scary. He never knew why - but this line of questioning in particular was especially frightening.

"Fantastic!" Regina chirped. She slid a contract across the desk in front of him. "Then you shouldn't be too hesitant in signing over all parental rights to me."

Graham blinked. "You-You're pregnant?! You couldn't have just lead with that?"

Regina chuckled. "Where's the fun in that? Come now, sign away. You're not ready, and you're off the hook. You don't have to be involved. We're not together, and we don't have to pretend to be. It's actually worse for the child when parents do that."

Graham stared at her. "So... You're telling me I'm going to be a father, except I'm not?"

"You can come to birthdays if you wish. It's all in there. This isn't a restraining order, I'm just not planning on sharing. I will, however reluctantly, if you refuse to sign, but something tells me I don't have to worry about that."

Graham scanned over the words on the contract. The thought of being tethered to the Mayor in such a way for the better part of two decades was as appealing as sleeping naked in a freezer. No, thank you. "No obligations?" he asked.

"Well, if you do plan on attending birthdays, you can't be a stranger to the child. You'll babysit whenever I need, but you will not be known as Dad."

Graham shrugged. "I suppose I can live with that." He scribbled his signature on all the indicated lines, then pushed the contract back across the desk to Regina.

"Thank you. You may go."

"Wait. How far along?"

"Nearly 14 weeks. Why? Doubt my word?"

"Just curious, trying to work out just when exactly I will become a perpetually on call babysitter."

"You go think on that. Bye now." Regina waved, beyond done with him on the matter.

Graham stood and left, knowing how whipped he was, but not particularly eager to do anything about it.

At 25 weeks, Regina was definitely showing. Heels were no longer possible, and her back was constantly aching.

"Mayor Mills!" Dr. Archibald Hopper jogged down the sidewalk to catch up with her. He sat a hand on her shoulder.

"Dr. Hopper," Regina greeted, stopping to look at him. She noticed a distinct lack of paws trying to scale her. "No furry friend today?"

"Pongo's having a nap. I have a break, and I wanted to have a word with you."

Regina's eyebrows drew together. "What about?"

"Well, you're pregnant, and Mayor, usually expecting mothers take some time for maternity leave. I just want to advise you to do so, and maybe start thinking about who to put up as the acting mayor."

Regina frowned. "I know you mean well, but I don't need an acting mayor. This is my town. This is my pregnancy. I will make decisions regarding them how I see fit. I don't need your analysis when it hasn't been asked for."

"Alright, Madame Mayor. It was just a thought." Archie remembered to remove his hand from her shoulder. "If you ever need anything, you know I'll be here. Doing it all alone won't be easy."

"When do I ever choose the easy way? Thank you for the concern." Regina continued on her way.

She had an interesting relationship with the town shrink. He was a good sounding board when she needed to vent, but she wasn't too big a fan of his handing out free advice in every day conversation on the street. He was a good man, but spineless in many ways.

Regina made her way into Granny's Diner. Her need for a burger was embarrassing, but excruciating to the point she no longer cared about image and opinion.

She made her way over to what had become known as her booth, and as she sat she wondered how long it would be before she'd have to switch to a table.

Having seen her coming and knowing what she wanted, Granny silently brought a freshly made burger to the table, setting the plate down in front of her. Pretending it was the first time the Mayor had graced her diner with her presence got old after the first dozen times or so, and no other attendees believed the charade after the first six.

The elderly woman was about to walk away when Regina made a sharp, "Ooh!" of surprise. Granny smirked, knowing only very few things could make the woman squirm.

"Are you alright, Madame Mayor?" she asked, half feigning concern to mask her amusement.

"I -" Regina breathed in sharply, both hands moving to her belly. "I don't know."

Seeing the flash of panic in her eyes, Granny laid a friendly hand on her arm. "Don't be alarmed, it was just a kick."

"Just a... Kick?" It took a moment to click. "The baby kicked?" She was unable to hold back a smile.

Granny dipped her head in a nod. "The baby kicked, and for the first time, too, judging by your reaction."

Joy was quickly replaced by irritation and embarrassment. Her smile dropped. "Thank you for the meal, Ms. Lucas."

Granny knew to let her be, then.

Regina picked up the burger and bit into it, holding back a moan at the taste. Grease had never tasted so good. As she swallowed the first bite, a small smile returned. Her baby kicked!

December 10, 1994 marked the 32nd week of the pregnancy. By this point, Regina had given up the fight for personal space. The baby was rearranging her organs and taking up a whole lot of space, so what were a few hands feeling her belly in comparison? She had no energy to be annoyed anymore.

As the mayor of a somewhat small town, she was practically royalty. At least it would be over soon. Just 8 more weeks at the most. That would make it a February baby, and that would be cute, as Regina's birthday was in February. She doubted it, though. She bet the baby would come a bit early to spite her - or maybe to pity her.

"Don't even think about it," Regina snapped when she saw the doe-eyed teacher approaching.

"Oh, come on, Regina. I'll probably end up teaching them one day!"

Regina shuddered at the thought. "Excuse me?! That is Madame Mayor or Mayor Mills to you, and I said no, Miss Blanchard. Back off. I don't want you to touch me."

The teacher shrinked back at the seriousness of Regina's tone. Apparently the pregnancy mood swings were not going in her favor. "Sorry, Mayor Mills," she squeaked out. "I-It won't happen again." She scampered off, lest she face further wrath from Storybrooke's Mayor.

At least, Regina thought, she still had enough energy to make that little waif stay the hell away from her. There were some seriously bad vibes rolling off that woman, and Regina wouldn't trust her as far as she could throw her - which, in her current state, wouldn't be too far anyway.

Regina tilted her head back, neck arching over the back of the bench she was sitting on, facing the sky but closing her eyes. And there went the rest of her energy.

She had a few seconds of quiet, peaceful bliss before the blip blip of a siren caught her attention, causing her to jerk her head up and open her eyes. Which she then rolled.

There was Sheriff Graham, in the marked vehicle, rolling the passenger side window down. "Need a lift, Madame Mayor?" he used formality, unsure what mood he'd find her in.

Regina sighed. She was too tired to walk it the rest of the way. "Fine. Just don't be weird." She stood and made her way to the car, the door of which already being pushed open from the inside. "How chivalrous."

"I try."

Regina settled in, closed the door, and buckled up.

"How far now?"

Regina whipped her head towards him, staring incredulously. "What did I just say?"

Graham frowned. "What? How is that weird?"

"Ugh. I... I guess I'm just tired of everything being about the baby. Do you think anyone's gonna give a damn when it's not growing inside me anymore? No! Not as much, anyway. And I'm 32 weeks today."

Graham let out a whistle as he started to drive. "Getting pretty close then, huh?"

"The New Year will come in first, but yes. Finally."

"At the risk of pissing you off again, I'm going to ask you something. Just don't take it the wrong way."

"This should be good," Regina quipped to herself.

"Can I be at the birth? I know I'm not going to be the father, just the babysitter, and I don't want to overstep. But I did help make the baby, and since you're going to do all of the hard work, I figure the least I can do is at least be your verbal punching bag and let you break my hand if need be. We're not together, and we barely even like each other most of the time, but we started this together, and I should be there at the finish line with you."

Regina looked at him, stunned, mouth dropping open a little bit. His attention was on the road, but she knew he was listening for her response. A choked noise escaped her throat and her cheeks became wet with tears. Damn hormones, and damn him for being so kind when he had every reason to hate her. "Of course," she managed to whisper before her throat became too tight for the lump residing in it, succumbing to her emotions and exhaustion.

Graham continued to drive until he pulled into Regina's driveway and cut the engine. He looked at her. "Would it be crossing a line if I offered to escort you inside?"

Regina sniffed and wiped at her eyes. "I think that would be alright. Just this once."

Graham unbuckled and exited the car, quickly jogging to the other side to get the door open before Regina could even think to reach for it. He opened it and then offered her his hand.

Regina unbuckled the seatbelt before accepting the Sheriff's hand. She eased out of the car and onto her feet with his help.

Once inside, she closed the door and looked at him. "Thank you. I hardly deserve your kindness, yet you've given it to me today."

"Any other woman would have demanded I stay. You didn't trap me. That is also kindness, believe it or not. You chose best for the child I helped create. Kids shouldn't be bounced between parents who don't get along. Joint custody is messy. I'm still far from ready to be anyone's father. Maybe I never will be. But you're already a fantastic mother, and that does deserve my kindness."

Regina reached up and took his face in her hands. "You keep saying amazing things, and I am extremely hormonal. That's all this means." She pulled his face into her own until their mouths connected.

Graham let out a surprised moan. This, too, he was willing to do for her. Because even if she was the coldest, bitchiest woman on the planet, and their sexual activities were mostly fueled by hate, she was mother to his child, one he wasn't ready to have, and that, despite meaning nothing, meant everything. He was grateful.

They didn't have sex, but they were plenty intimate without it. It was enough for Regina to forget her loneliness for a few minutes before she finally kicked him out.

On New Year's Eve, despite being heavily pregnant, Regina continued on her annual tradition of welcoming the New Year with a town gathering at City Hall. It could be called a party, if her citizens weren't so boring. At least the event caterers always had the best quality appetizers and h'orderves.

At 35 weeks, Regina was just hoping not to give everyone a show by going into labor.

"I do believe I have yet to have the chance to congratulate you, Madam Mayor."

Regina turned front the buffet table trays of sample sized food had been laid out on. "Thank you, Mr. Gold." She gracefully slid what had been impaled with a toothpick into her mouth, withdrawing the pointy stick cleanly. After she swallowed, she smiled. "I'm just hoping they don't decide they really, really want to be born in 1994. I'm sure everyone here would love that show, except me."

"That would certainly be... Memorable." Mr. Gold chuckled, one hand flicking his hair back while the other leaned on his cane. "For your sake, I'll hope your baby's patient enough to wait until 1995. How far along?"

"35 weeks today. I supposedly have another five to go, but I'm not counting on it."

"And you're sure you don't want to dissolve the contract?"

"I am sure, and thank you for making sure Albert Spencer didn't trip me up in the semantics. I doubt he resisted the opportunity to try to score money out of me from lax linguistics."

"Always a pleasure. Deals and contracts are a specialty hobby of mine, as I'm sure you know, otherwise you wouldn't have approached me. Just remember you owe me a favor in exchange."

"How could I forget? I'll have a constant reminder." Regina rested a hand on her belly, stroking over it lovingly.

January 21, 1995 was a regular Saturday. The mark of Regina's 38th week of pregnancy. Two more weeks to go, supposedly. Her due date was, officially, February 4th.

Regina was huge, always had to pee, waddled, and was always tired. She was still just as stubbornly full-on Mayor as she had been when Archie suggested maternity leave.

That day, she wasn't motivated to do much more than lay down in bed and read. But she had to keep re-reading the same paragraphs and pages over again, so she clearly couldn't focus much on that, either.

So, Regina gave up on reading and just laid there, making shapes out of the pattern of her ceiling. She did that until a new sensation tore through her, almost like a cramp, but so much worse. When it passed, she grabbed her phone from the nightstand. She held her breath for a moment, and then relaxed. She put the phone down again and closed her eyes.

She was able to fall asleep and had a little nap before she was rudely awakened by a similar sensation. She grabbed the phone again and looked at the time. It hadn't even been 20 minutes since she'd last looked at it. She took in a deep breath and dialed Graham.

"Regina?" the Sheriff asked cautiously.

"Graham, it's time!"

"It's time? You mean -"

"What I mean, Graham, is get your ass over here, because birthing this baby is the one thing I am NOT doing alone! Come here. NOW!"

Graham hung up so he could get to her faster, where she could then roar at him in person. And at some point drive her to the hospital.

Regina slammed the phone down on the nightstand and then gripped the bedsheets. She was going to be so pissed if her water broke on her satin sheets. She was also going to be pissed if her next contraction beat Graham there.

Luckily, Graham made it to her in 10 minutes, giving him a whole 5 minutes before Regina's next contraction tore through her. He offered her his hand, which she took with a crushing force.

"Anything you need?" Graham asked. "Besides crushing my hand and a trip to the hospital later?"

"Glass of crushed ice. Would suck to... Pass out. I-I didn't make a guardianship plan in the event of my death..."

"You hush. You're fine. You're not dying. You'll be a fantastic mother. I'll be right back with that ice, okay?"

Regina nodded, but still clung to his hand in a death grip.

"I, uh, I sort of need my hand back for that."

Regina reluctantly released it. "Be fast!" she hissed at him.

Graham raced against the clock, wanting to be back well before Regina's next contraction. He was only gone about two minutes.

"That was fast," Regina stated, rather impressed.

"Should we call Whale? Make sure he's prepared? I'm not entirely sure when exactly I'm supposed to take you, anyway..."

"Okay, call him. He'll know." Regina grabbed the glass and took some of the crushes ice into her mouth, savoring it, making it melt. If this was going to be as long as she suspected it might be, this was the only sustenance she'd be allowed, and she may as well get used to it.

Graham was in the middle of his call with Whale when another contraction hit.

"You'll want to bring her in when they're coming every five minutes. Until then... I don't envy you."

"Thanks, Doc." Graham withheld an eyeroll, not wanting Regina to think it was directed at her. When he was off the phone, he took her hand again. "Maybe we should start timing them. He said to bring you in when they're 5 minutes apart."

Regina squeezed his hand hard and let out an anguished wail at the thought of enduring that pain every 5 minutes.

Graham wisely held back the info that they were supposed to get even stronger. He didn't have a deathwish. Even if he wasn't going to be a Daddy, he wanted to see the child he helped create, at least once before he died.

An hour passed.

"You're doing great, Regina." At this point Graham had moved onto the bed with her, sitting behind her, letting her lay against him. One hand was held captive, the other stroked through her hair and along her belly. "You are doing so great. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise, ever."

"Graham?"

"Yes?"

"Would you please, please, just shut the fuck up?! You are driving me nuts! Ah-Ah-Owww!" Regina gripped tightly, nails digging in, another, worse contraction tearing through her. She was panting when it was over. "Oh-Oh... My. When was the last one?"

Graham looked at the clock. "Only 10 minutes."

Regina let out a deep, furious growl of frustration. "I should fucking castrate you!"

Graham felt the urge to cross his legs protectively, and might have if Regina wasn't sitting between them. He chose to stay silent, especially given her demand before the contraction hit.

Eons passed, or so it seemed.

"Did you say 6 minutes? Close enough!" Regina was so ready to go to the hospital. Epidural, here she comes!

"No, not close enough. Dr. Whale said 5 minutes, and this is only your first 6 minute apart one. They could still be 6 minutes apart for hours."

Regina looked up and snarled at him, even if her neck was propped on his shoulder. "I really, genuinely, fucking despise you."

Graham smiled. That's how he knew she was gonna be alright.

"Smug bastard." She dug her nails into his thighs the best she could, all the while knowing it was nowhere near the amount of pain she felt - pain that was all his fault. "You're never getting laid ever again. You fucking hear me? Because I'm the only one who would ever get that close, and that's not happening ever again. No one else wants you, you're so boring, you'll live the rest of your life celibate until you die - which might just be another hour, because I swear I am about ready to rip your balls off and feed them to you and watch you die a horrible, horrible death!"

Graham tried not to laugh. The scary thing was, a part of him believed she'd actually do it and lose no sleep over it.

Finally, the contractions were coming every 5 minutes, and Graham drove Regina to the hospital.

Regina was admitted quickly, because she was the most VIP that could ever be, and everyone treated her with equal amounts of respect and fear, as you do with royalty. Her examination determined she was 4 centimeters dilated, and she was ready for the long haul. Regina just hoped she got her epidural before they asked her to start pushing.

The first few moments after Regina received her epidural were blissful, almost euphoric in comparison to the hell she'd been going through. She grinned at Graham, squeezing his hand. "Thank you... For getting us here safe, alive."

Graham kissed her sweaty forehead. "Of course I got you here alive. I told you, you're not dying."

"I... I am never doing this again. I think I really might die if I do."

Graham smirked. "You already said you're never having sex with me again. So, I think you're safe."

Regina grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him down into a kiss, more feelings of peace washing over her. She just needed to get through these next however many hours, and then she'd have her baby and everything would be right in the world.

"You, Regina, are the Queen of Mixed Signals."

"I'm in labor and have had raging hormones the past 38 weeks. You can't trust a thing I say or do."

"I'm not sure if I'm relieved or frightened even more."

"Boo." Regina wiggled her eyebrows. She cried out in pain a moment later. So much for euphoria. The contractions were still painful, only a bit dulled. They seemed to be longer, too - she could scream, grunt, and sigh through it, but that was about it.

When the pushing started, she swore they had her push a hundred thousand times before it was finally over. She was so wiped out, she almost missed the first cries of the baby she'd just brought into the world. Her baby.

Her head fell against the pillow, so very, very exhausted, as she struggled to keep her eyes open.

The baby was cleaned up and weighed.

"Madame Mayor." Dr. Whale placed a hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her. "You don't want to miss this."

"Hmm?" Regina peered at him through bleary eyes.

Graham squeezed the hand he was still holding. "Hey. You've worked so hard. Don't miss the reward."

Regina opened her eyes more. "I'm up." She squeezed back.

"Congratulations, Madame Mayor. You are now the mother of a healthy 6 pounds, 7 ounces baby girl!" announced a nurse who was wrapping a blanket around the newborn. "Would you like to hold her?"

Regina nodded, unable to speak, tears gushing down her face. A baby girl. She held out her arms, ready to take her, look at her, love her. "Hi," she chokes out with a smile. "Hi, baby girl, how are you?" she cooed as she was placed in her arms.

Graham smiled proudly. He helped make that happen. If nothing else, there would always be that. "Do you have a name yet?" he asked.

"I wasn't sure." Regina stroked a finger along a soft little baby cheek. "But now I think I do." She lowered her nose onto the top of her newborn's head, breathing in that new baby smell. She closed her eyes, overwhelmed with emotion and exhaustion. She inhaled that sweet smell one more time before opening her eyes again and looking at her face. "Your name," she stated. "Is Vanessa Marisela Mills." She smiled. "And I love you so, so much."

It had started as an ordinary Saturday. But it was anything but.

On January 21, 1995 at 5:55 PM, Vanessa Marisela Mills was born, weighing in at 6 pounds, 7 ounces, making Regina Mills, the Evil Queen, unbeknownst to everyone including herself, a mother - and one whom she had already gotten wrapped around her little finger, simply by existing.


	2. Chapter 2

Saturday, January 21, 1995

Regina let the nurses take Vanessa away again to get everything else checked out, and to be hand and foot printed for the birth certificate.

"How long do you want me to stay?" Graham asked. "I'm guessing they'll keep you both at least overnight."

"Until they discharge us," Regina answered. She groaned. "Are you fucking kidding me? This shit keeps happening after the birth, too?!"

"I believe those are called afterpains. You're starting to shrink back to regular size."

Regina eyed him suspiciously. "Why do you know that?"

"You didn't think I'd go into this blindly, did you? I did my homework. I wanted to do what you'd allow me to do at 100%, because it's not much."

Regina sighed. "Stop that. You keep saying and doing perfect things, but you're the wrong guy. I just happened to get a baby out of it. Don't get too attached. Legally, you're nothing to Vanessa and I. You... Are a sperm donor with visitation rights."

"Understood." Graham crossed his arms, looking anywhere but the woman he had just endured labor with.

Regina looked away from him, her broken heart aching at her wondering thought of why couldn't he have been Daniel? Had Vanessa been Daniel's, and he sat through all that hell, and helped her, and cared... She would only love him even more deeply.

But Daniel was gone, he couldn't say or do perfect things anymore. He couldn't father any babies.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she hoped her baby girl would be returned to her soon. Thinking about Daniel was hard, and dangerous. He was dead, and she just gave birth to her daughter, who needed her for the next 18 years at the absolute minimum.

She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping if she ignored him long enough, Graham would remain silent, but stay in the room with her. With a silent presence, she could almost trick herself into believing Daniel was with her.

Regina snapped her eyes open when she heard a familiar cry, and eagerly took Vanessa back into her arms when she was returned to her.

"Have you thought about breastfeeding?" the nurse asked.

"Of course. That's what I'll do, if she'll let me."

"Try holding her against your chest. See if she shows interest. If not, you can always try again later. She may not be hungry right away."

Regina nodded, slightly pulling her hospital gown open a bit wider so she could nestle Vanessa against her chest with access to the possible food source.

"She may just fall asleep, too," the nurse added. "Believe it or not, she's more exhausted than you are right now."

"I wouldn't mind," Regina murmured, looking down at Vanessa lovingly.

"When you're ready, you'll also need to sign the birth certificate."

"Will do," Regina replied on autopilot, little else besides the little bundle of joy in her arms mattering just then. Her sweet Vanessa made her heart hurt less.

12:00 AM, Sunday January 22, 1995

Every half hour like clockwork nurses had been in and out, checking on both Regina and Vanessa to make sure they were adjusting okay, monitoring them to ensure everything continued smoothly.

"Mayor Mills?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"I believe Vanessa's had her first bowel movement. Would you like to assist in changing the diaper? Luckily, these ones don't have much of a smell."

"Of course," Regina answered, without question. Couldn't be squeamish about that part of motherhood, and she was betting everything that had came out of her besides the baby was even more gross than what was coming out of the baby.

Together, Regina and the nurse made Vanessa Mills' first diaper change.

"Maybe now that that's happened, she'll be hungrier and ready to latch on," the nurse suggested once Vanessa was all clean and changed. She cleaned her hands and offered Regina a wipe so she could clean her hands, too.

Once Regina's hands were clean, she took Vanessa back, cradling her to her chest. She wouldn't mind falling asleep like that. In fact, she did.

Graham had been asleep, but woke when he heard voices. He watched the entire interaction through slitted eyes as he pretended to continue to sleep in the uncomfortable chair. That kid was lucky. If nothing else, Regina was a natural at being a mother. He didn't doubt that she truly didn't need him for the long haul.

5:14 AM, Sunday, January 22, 1995

Regina inhaled sharply as she awoke to soft little touches on her breast. She looked down to find Vanessa sliding her face and mouth against her in search of her nipple. "Oh," she breathed out. "Finally hungry, huh?" She shifted carefully into a better position, moving Vanessa to be vertically against her rather than horizontally, cupping the back of her head protectively as she guided her to her breast.

With the position shift, Vanessa had a much easier time finding Regina's nipple and latching on.

Regina's breath hitched, and she was grateful Vanessa had no teeth yet. Better, still, she was taking her food from its natural source. It was a strange sensation, but it was amazing to know she was providing necessary sustenance for her daughter.

Damn it. Motherhood was going to melt her, and there wasn't a way to prevent that. Oh well. At least she was going to be one hell of a fierce Mama Bear.

7:43 AM, Sunday, January 22, 1995

"Graham."

The man was actually sleeping this time, still in that awkward chair. He was lightly snoring.

"Graham!" Regina hissed louder, ready to chuck a pillow at him - or she would be if she didn't need them all for herself.

"Hmm? Wha?" Graham peeked his eyes open and then sat up straight, alert. "I'm up. What is it?"

"I'm starving. Get me a salad from Granny's. And peanuts. And some apples from my tree."

Graham pulled his Sheriff's notepad out of his breast pocket, writing down her demands as she shot them out at him. "Is that all?" he asked.

"No, go! Oh! Wait - Wait... Um. Carseat, in case they discharge us sooner rather than later."

"Got it." Graham stood up, stretched his neck from side to side, and then headed out to bring what she required. Whipped. So, so whipped.

Regina fell back asleep when he left, and managed to get a 10 minute nap in before her need to use the bathroom woke her.

The first time had been a horror show, another reason added onto Regina's 'Reasons Why I'm Never Doing This Again' list, but this was the 5th time, and now with a routine down, the bathroom was her bitch.

Luckily enough, she didn't have to go too far, the nearest bathroom within the hospital room itself. She despised the idea of leaving her sleeping Vanessa alone in the room, even if that room was in a building swarming with doctors.

Regina carefully, with sheer willpower, hauled herself off the hospital bed without help, and made it to the bathroom and back all by herself. Another tally in the Winning as an Independent Mom column.

8:45 AM, Sunday, January 22, 1995

Graham returned with everything Regina had asked for. "Your apple tree is as difficult as you are. I'm glad you didn't ask for warm food." He placed all the foods on the little food tray near her bed, situating it so it was in front of her.

Regina glared. "Must you be so loud?" She waved an arm at her sleeping daughter in the little hospital crib closeby. Despite her wants, she couldn't actually hold her the entire time.

"Oh. Sorry," Graham whispered, after seeing the baby was sleeping. He already knew that was a rarity. He retreated to his designated seat, placing the carseat down next to it as he sat.

Regina tore into the salad as viciously as she could while staying quiet so Vanessa could sleep. "Mm." Food was so good. Food was amazing. She should just marry food.

6:00 PM, Sunday, January 22, 1995

"Alright, Madame Mayor, since both you and baby have had a great 24 hours after the birth without complications, I see no reason to make you stay any longer," Dr. Whale announced as he brought her the discharge papers, and her copy of the now signed, and only by Regina, birth certificate. "Just remember to come back regularly for both of your check ups. Take it easy, and don't try to drive for a good six weeks, to be safe. No rushing to lose the baby weight, either, since you're breastfeeding."

"Don't forget who's the boss of who, here," Regina snarked. She knew he was doing his job, though. And well, too. She grabbed the discharge papers, reading and signing all the necessary lines. "Graham, get Vanessa ready and put her in the carseat."

"Yes, Ma'am." Graham made sure Vanessa's diaper was dry before putting her in a onesie that read Yes, I Actually Was Born Yesterday. Leave it to Regina to pick an outfit saying something witty that only worked literally one day. He shook his head. Typical Regina. He carefully settled Vanessa into the carseat and buckled it appropriately as Regina continued filling out the required forms. "Privacy while you dress?" he asked, rather than assuming.

"Yes, please. Don't take her out with you, though," Regina answered, signing the last needs signature with a flourish, glad to be done.

Dr. Whale took the papers and exited the room, Graham following out shortly.

Regina felt weird putting normal clothes back on, and even weirder that the diapers she'd have to be wearing the next few weeks were so comfortable.

She took in a few deep breaths, releasing them slowly. She was about to go home. With her baby. Vanessa Mills. She was a mother.

"Graham?" she called. "I'm ready!"

Graham came back in, picking the handle of the carseat up, only to hand it over to Regina, who shouldn't be bending to reach anything for a while.

Regina held onto the handle firmly, watching her girl as well as her steps - she could see her feet again! She let Graham navigate her through the halls and eventually, out to the car. Her world had shrunk down to revolve solely around the little sleeping angel she carried.

9:00 AM, Saturday, January 28, 1995

Regina was laying on her stomach in bed, Vanessa equally stretched out on her stomach across from her. Regina poked her tongue out at her, waited a few moments, and then grinned when Vanessa tried to copy her. "Good girl!"

Regina slowly brought her index finger closer and closer to Vanessa's nose, laughing gleefully as her eyes traced her finger's movement inch by inch. She could have hours of entertainment just playing with her girl - when both were awake and wanted to be.

Vanessa's eyes moved to look into Regina's just before her mouth opened and she let out her hungry cry.

Regina's heart melted. She loved how they didn't need words to communicate. "Alright," she cooed. "Let's sit up." She carefully sat herself up properly before scooping Vanessa into her arms and settling her down belly to belly. She freed the breast Vanessa seemed to favor.

Vanessa found her way to the breast in that adorable, clumsy baby way of hers. Latching on wasn't always easy, and sometimes assistance was required.

Regina guided her just a bit, and soon felt that telling clamp and closed her eyes. She had gotten used to it somewhat, but that initial grab was always a bit of a shock. It usually came earlier or later than expected.

Regina began to hum, one hand stroking over the dark tufts of hair she was trying not to get attached to. Vanessa was some middle shade lighter than she and darker than Graham, so Regina knew better than to expect hair as dark as her own. Hair didn't stick around anyway, not this early hair.

Regina pressed a soft kiss to the top of her darling daughter's head. She continued to hum. She wouldn't trade these precious moments for anything.

1:00 PM, Wednesday, February 1, 1995

Regina grabbed her baby bag, stashed it in the back of the stroller, and fastened the baby carrier around herself before settling Vanessa in it. She had made sure to cover her little hands and feet with mittens and booties. She was ready for her first birthday as a mother.

Nothing special, just out for a walk around town with her daughter. One whom most townspeople hadn't met yet. Regina was reluctantly prepared for the inevitable swarm.

She opened the door and laughed at the sight of more gift/care baskets at her doorstep. "You are a princess, Vanessa. Hm. Princess Vanessa. I like it. Shall we take you to greet your people?"

After clearing away the newest batch of gifts, stashing them away inside, Regina headed out and locked the door behind her.

She steered the stroller down the walkway, careful not to bounce too much as she walked behind it.

Regina had barely begun to hit Main Street before the cautious swarming began. She could hear footsteps behind her from someone who was obviously trying to pretend they weren't following her. After a couple minutes of this, she stopped and turned to face whoever it was. "Miss Lucas," she greeted, eyeing Granny's scantily clad granddaughter up and down. "Aren't you cold?"

Ruby shook her head with a tight smile. "Happy Birthday," she stated in her pleasant waitress tone. "Your baby's gorgeous."

"I know." Regina grinned down at Vanessa.

"What's her name?"

"Vanessa."

"Pretty!" Ruby shifted awkwardly. "So, um, if you ever need a babysitter, I can totally do that. When I'm not on shift at the Diner, anyway."

"I-" Regina thought better of telling her off. "I will keep that in mind, thank you, Miss Lucas." Graham did have to be Sheriff, after all. A spare babysitter would come in handy. She could think of worse people to trust her daughter with.

Regina continued on her way, managing to get to the park before truly being swarmed. One of Miss Blanchard's classes was running loose outside for some reason, and they all dashed to see the Mayor and the baby.

"Did it hurt?"

"Does she poop a lot?"

"Hey, maybe it's a boy! Is it a boy?"

"Do babies really come from storks?"

"Where do babies come from?"

"How are you holding it without using your hands?"

"Who's the dad?"

"My mom says she knew I was going to be a girl before I was even born. Did you know?"

Regina laughed. "I can't answer anything when you're all talking at once." Despising their teacher didn't mean she had any reason to hold anything against the kids. The thought that Vanessa was going to grow into one of them, though, be that big - that was startling.

Regina took a seat on the bench nearby. "Show me how nice a line you all can make, and you can ask me your questions one at a time. Does that sound good?" she suggested good-naturedly, although desperately wanting Mary Margaret to show up and reign them back in before she answered too many of the questions.

On second thought, the teacher might be equipped with far worse questions. Regina gulped and smiled at the group that was the lesser of two evils, waiting for them to form a line.

Thankfully, the distinct sound of a dog barking pulled all the children's attention away from her. Regina looked towards the source of the sound, although she already knew who it was from. "Thank you, Pongo," she whispered, watching the children scramble away to give the dalmatian some love. She chuckled at the way Dr. Hopper was digging in his heels, yet Pongo kept dragging him along.

Even trained, excitable animals were no match for their owners. She waved at the man, feeling a mixture of sympathy and gratitude. Dogs were cuter than babies. She did not envy the swarm he had to deal with.

She was glad the attention was no longer on her.

She felt the extra weight as someone sat down beside her on the bench. She looked to see who it was. "Oh. You."

"Happy Birthday," Graham greeted her. "You did say something about me seeing the baby on birthdays," he commented cheekily.

Regina rolled her eyes. "Not mine." She nudged his shoulder with her own.

"She looks bigger," Graham commented.

"She is. That's how it works." Regina kissed the top of Vanessa's head. "I'm just glad she's not big enough to go chasing after Pongo yet."

"And you're doing alright?" Graham asked.

"I am more than alright. Thank you for that. For making her mine."

"Would it be too crass to say it was my pleasure?"

Regina snorted. "Don't you have to go catch Leroy being drunk in public, again?"

"That and rescuing cats from trees, probably." Graham got up again. He noticed someone lurking at a nearby tree with a camera, failing miserably at being sneaky. "Er, have you given the newspaper guy permission to play paparazzi with you?"

Regina's eyes narrowed as she caught what Graham was seeing. "Absolutely not!"

"I'll take care of it," Graham told her before fast walking his way to the reporter.

Regina huffed in irritation and stood, pushing the stroller in the opposite direction. The nerve of that man. Vanessa was not public domain.

Perhaps it was time to go home.

3:43 AM, Saturday, February 18, 1995

Regina's eyes snapped open. She had only been asleep for about 15 minutes when Vanessa's cry of hunger woke her.

"Baby...!" she whined in exhaustion, reluctantly sitting up in preparation to retrieve her daughter from the bassinet. She had literally just changed her diaper before trying to sleep again, and now she'd lose the better part of the next hour to breastfeeding.

There was potential she could fall asleep, but now that Vanessa was a month (28 days) old, she was bigger, and a bit squirmier.

Regina sighed and pushed herself off the bed, walking over to the bassinet and looking down at her precious little demon baby. "You are driving Mommy nuts," she cooed at her sweetly as she lifted her up into her arms. "Yes, you are!" She pressed kisses to her cheek. "But I love you anyway."

Regina tried to use the headboard to her advantage when it came to posturing, wanting to be able to relax without slouching too much. She felt tiny little fists curl into her nightshirt over her breast. "Patience, grabby." She popped the buttons open, and it wasn't long before Vanessa was nursing.

Regina sighed and closed her eyes, contemplating making Graham babysit for a few hours just so she could sleep. She'd rent a room at Granny's or pay Dr. Hopper to borrow his office for a while.

Regina truly loved Vanessa, but sleep was something she had taken for granted that she was now sorely missing.

11:16 AM, Thursday, March 23, 1995

Regina closed her office door after the conclusion of one of her many meetings. She made her way over to the bassinet she had set up for Vanessa, separate from the one at home. No one dared question her on her decision to bring her daughter to work.

To be honest, Regina took great pleasure in making people, especially men, squirm with discomfort when Vanessa decided it was feeding time in the middle of a meeting. Regina wasn't the slightest bit shy about it, and carried on business like usual, piercing eyes daring someone to make a stupid comment.

Regina reached down, gently stroking her thumb along Vanessa's little hand.

Vanessa looked up at her mother and grinned toothlessly.

Regina gasped, her heart skipping a beat and eyes beginning to water. "Oh, Vanessa..." She lifted her into her arms, snuggling her close. She was slightly older than 2 months, and that was her first genuine smile. She smiled at her! All the other little smiles that had come before were gas related, but this was different.

Regina was so happy with her 10 pounds of adorableness. She peppered light kisses all over her face, grinning at the way Vanessa cooed and tangled her hands in Regina's hair. She cooed nonsense back at her.

"Hm. What do you think about taking an early lunch today?" she asked, not because she expected an answer, but because she was supposed to be thinking out loud around her. "We can go to Granny's and distract her with how cute you are. That sounds fun, yeah?"

Regina might just have skipped her way there, had she not been taking precious cargo with her. The happiness little Vanessa caused was a high all on its own, making the exhaustion, which was so very worth it, almost disappear.

4:24 PM Wednesday, May 24, 1995

Regina had taken some paperwork home to finish working on, not wanting to stay in her office all day. She was working on it in the living room so she could supervise Vanessa in her playpen. The words on the pages were a little less tedious when she could hear her daughter's adorable babbles as she played.

Regina was reading something about a proposed construction project, listening to Vanessa shake her rattle around when she heard something new.

Vanessa started laughing. It wasn't soft giggling, but an uproarious cackle.

Regina had no clue what caused it, but she did know the paperwork was going to wait. After hearing Vanessa's first laugh, she had to get up and go play with her. Try to make her laugh more.

Regina got into the playpen and laid down on the floor. She made sure to take her shoes off before picking up her daughter, sitting her down on her belly. "Does Miss Vanessa want to play airplane?" she asked with a smile.

Vanessa smiled back.

"Okay, but we have to put the rattle down. Can you give Mommy the rattle?" She rubbed her thumb along her knuckles. "Or drop it?" she tried. She looked at the rattle, and then at the floor pointedly, exaggerating to be clear. She knew it would be forgotten once Vanessa dropped it.

Vanessa babbled incoherently, shaking the rattle more before it either slipped or she dropped it. Regina couldn't quite tell which.

"Alright! Let's play airplane." Regina lifted Vanessa up into the air, then brought her legs up and positioned her feet to be under Vanessa's belly and torso.

The last time she had been weighed, Vanessa was at 12 pounds, 9 ounces. Well on track to double her birth weight by 6 months.

At barely over 12 and a half pounds, Vanessa made a comfortable weight, and Regina could incorporate exercise into their playing.

Holding onto Vanessa's arms, Regina slowly pushed her legs up, lifting Vanessa higher and higher into the air. As she lowered her again, she brought her hands down to Vanessa's, letting her take each of her index fingers into her fists.

Regina rose her again, just a slight bit faster than the first time. "Wee!"

Vanessa laughed again, grinning down at her mother from her high vantage point.

5:00 AM, Monday, June 12, 1995

Regina woke up to her alarm. She turned it off automatically, ignored it for a few moments, and then sat up abruptly. She had just woken up to her alarm.

She got out of bed and quietly crept over to Vanessa's crib, peering down to see she was, mercifully, sleeping, undisturbed by the alarm.

Regina grinned. She had put Vanessa down to sleep last just before 9:00 PM the previous night. Vanessa slept all the way through the night! And, by proxy, so did Regina.

'Thank you, thank you, thank you,' she mouthed silently. She decided to watch her sleep for a while, enjoying how peaceful she looked, and the serenity she felt after her first 8 hour stretch of sleep since Vanessa was born.

12:00 PM, Friday, July 21, 1995

"Um, Regina?" Graham called, at an absolute loss as to what was happening.

Regina came out of the kitchen, twisting the lid back onto the water bottle she'd grabbed. "What?"

"Er. Well, I started to change her, and before I could fully get the clean diaper on..." Graham gestured.

Vanessa was on the floor, rolling and rolling and rolling away from him, clean diaper barely attached and becoming looser by the second.

Regina rubbed her forehead with a laugh. "Yeah, she does that. I guess I forgot to warn you. You have to be quick." She stashed the water bottle in her purse and swept up the rolling girl into her arms. "No rolling away from Graham. Even if you are the half-Birthday girl."

"Half-birthday?" Graham asked, a smirk pulling at his lips. "Do I get those, too?"

Regina rolled her eyes. "Merely a coincidence." She sat Vanessa down, fastening an even newer diaper to her bottom with impressive speed. "I can not bring her to this bill hearing, she will distract everyone. I, especially, need to be focused, since my name is attached either way. And you need to be focused, too. She will roll away from you and try to put anything she can grab that looks interesting into her mouth." She kissed the top of Vanessa's head and put her down in front of Graham.

"There should be plenty of milk in the fridge, do not give it to her cold. Don't overheat it, either. Put her down for 15 minute naps. Play with her, but don't make a mess. If she seems fussy with the milk, she might want the carrot puree, of which she can have 3 more tablespoons of today. Don't use more than 2, and space them out. She should get her last one from me before I put her down for the night."

Graham nodded. "Alright. Don't call every hour."

Regina flicked Graham's forehead. "Don't tease my separation anxiety, I'll send Dr. Hopper after you."

Graham sighed. "Alright, maybe I deserved that. Just go. We'll be alright, now that I know she's prone to rolling. Remember, I'm Sheriff. After you, she couldn't possibly be safer with anyone else."

Regina was glad he didn't say the F or the D word. Man was learning. That was something. She picked Vanessa up once more, pressing kisses to her cheeks and forehead. "Mommy loves you, Vanessa. I'll be back as soon as I can." She tapped her nose, smiling at the way Vanessa scrunched it when she giggled. She sighed and passed her off to Graham before finally leaving.

3:13 PM, Wednesday, September 27, 1995

Regina was sitting on the floor across from Vanessa, the two rolling a small ball back and forth to each other. Or, rather, Regina rolled the ball, and Vanessa stopped it, picked it up, and either dropped or threw it. Thankfully, it didn't hurt if it landed on Regina's face once in a while.

Regina rolled the ball again, and it went off diagonally instead of where she had aimed it. To her amazement, Vanessa watched it roll away, flopped onto the floor, then pushed herself up so she was on her hands and knees, moving after the ball.

Regina made a high-pitched noise of excitement. Crawling! She was transfixed by her daughter's every move. It was only when Vanessa grabbed the ball and shoved it into her mouth that Regina scurried after her to catch up.

That child was going to make her go gray early.

7:54 PM, Tuesday, October 24, 1995

"Can we say bye-bye to Ruby, Vanessa?" Regina asked, holding her daughter at her doorway as she saw Ruby out.

She had needed to take a trip to the store, and Vanessa was not in the mood to be around people she didn't know. Ruby happened to have the night off, and Vanessa was familiar with her, so it had worked out quite well. No Graham required.

Ruby waved at Vanessa. "Bye!"

Vanessa waved back, if a bit uncoordinated. "Buh-bah!" she attempted with a smile.

Regina smiled. Vanessa hadn't quite been able to put together any sensible words yet, but that had come pretty close. "Thank you, Ruby."

Ruby nodded. "No problem."

Regina watched her leave before closing the door. She lightly bounced Vanessa on her hip as she walked back into the depths of her mayoral mansion. "How about a story before bed?"

8:15 PM, Tuesday, October 24, 1995

"'I do not like green eggs and ham," Regina read. "I do not like them, Sam-I-am."

She looked at Vanessa. "We do not like green eggs and ham either, do we? They probably taste funny."

Vanessa squealed at the disgusted face Regina had made. She clapped her hands, and then pointed at the book.

Regina continued, "'Would you like them in a house? Would you like them with a mouse?'

'I do not like them in a house.

I do not like them wuth a mouse.

I do not like them here or there.

I do not like them anywhere.

I do not like green eggs and ham.

I do not like them, Sam-I-am.'

9:42 AM Tuesday, November 14, 1995

Regina sat at the kitchen table, eating her own breakfast while watching Vanessa in her high chair demolishing the small pieces of banana she had cut up for her, getting it smeared all over her face. She shook her head with a chuckle and a smile. The girl was intent on getting her hands in everything, and then putting them in her mouth. It was messy, but it was an entertaining way for her to feed herself.

Regina sighed, looking down at the newspaper. November. How was it November already? Vanessa was born in January, and it was almost January again. Regina wasn't ready for her baby to grow up.

After shaking her head, she gulped down the rest of her orange juice. She watched Vanessa a few minutes more before deciding she may as well bathe her after she had managed to smear bananas nearly everywhere. She had to wonder how much actually made it into her stomach.

One more good reason she wasn't ready to stop breastfeeding. She knew that, at least, made its way in.

10:00 PM, Sunday, December 31, 1995

It was time for Regina's annual tradition of welcoming the New Year at City Hall once again, and Vanessa Mills was stealing the spotlight.

She enjoyed hanging onto Regina's hands and bouncing against the floor with her feet. Regina didn't mind, the bouncing meant the first steps would be coming any day.

"It's good to see you with a smile on your face, Madame Mayor," Archie stated.

Vanessa grinned. "Go-Go!" She stopped bouncing in her excitement, letting go of Regina's hands.

Regina chuckled. "I think, Dr. Hopper, my daughter loves Pongo more than me now. Thanks for that."

Pongo approached Vanessa, sniffing and ready to lick.

When he was close enough, Vanessa launched herself at the dog, wrapping her arms around his neck, nuzzling her face against his ear.

Archie laughed at the small girl's excitability. "He clearly loves her back, if that's any consolation." He smiled at her. "You've done amazingly with her, and with being Mayor on top of it. I must apologize for underestimating you before she was born."

"Well, it's been far from easy. I have definitely had help. I may be a single mother, but it truly does take a village. Good thing I have an entire city at my disposal."

Pongo backed up, causing Vanessa's hold to slip. She fell back onto her butt and started to cry, more out of surprise than anything else.

Regina picked her up and kissed the top of her head. "Sssh. You're alright."

Pongo let out a whine and looked down at the floor, as if feeling guilty.

"You're alright, too, Pongo," Regina told the dog.

"You're different," Archie commented.

Regina shot a glare at him. "Not by much."

Archie rapidly nodded in agreement at the proof that she could still be scary, even while soothing a crying baby. "Well, I'll just leave you be for a while. Come on, Pongo."

"Allow me?"

Regina turned to see Granny. She shrugged. "Be my guest." She carefully passed Vanessa over to the older woman. "I'm still right here, Vanessa. I'm not going anywhere," she told her before the crying could get worse.

Vanessa was very attached to Regina lately. She'd cry when Regina went to the bathroom sometimes. And screamed when she was left at home with a babysitter.

Granny cradled Vanessa, lightly stroking the back of her head, murmuring softly. Vanessa relaxed in her arms, cries slowing down. The woman was the closest thing to a grandmother she would know, since Regina's parents were gone. Regina wouldn't have wanted her mother around Vanessa, anyway.

It wasn't long after people started seeing someone other than Regina holding Vanessa, that nearly everyone else wanted a turn.

Regina sighed, being selective about who she actually let hold her belle of the ball. She kept watch like a hawk, as well. She didn't want her to be overwhelmed by all the attention from strangers.

6:30 PM, Sunday, January 21, 1996

For Vanessa's first birthday, rather than make a big hoopla involving all of Storybrooke, Regina invited only those her daughter bonded especially closely with to their home to celebrate.

It wasn't a large group. Graham was there, as was Granny, Ruby, Archie (a package deal for Pongo), and Dr. Whale.

Whale was more out of obligation than closeness. He'd helped bring her into the world, kept her immunizations up to date, kept both she and Regina healthy. He deserved allowance to the first birthday, but Regina doubted he'd be invited to any of the rest.

Especially because he seemed to be making Ruby uncomfortable, which was in turn making Granny pissed off and looking like she was ready to rip the man's balls off.

It was such a chaotic mixture of people. Regina wondered how her life had gotten to that point, and marveled at how Vanessa glued them all together, at least on that day.

Regina used up many rolls of film for pictures. It turned out, however, that the most precious moment couldn't be captured in a photograph.

As Regina had placed down an appropriately sized slice of the brightly colored, fruit infused birthday cake in front of her in her high chair, Vanessa looked right at her, grinned and clapped. "Tank Mama!"

Regina physically took a step backwards, one hand flying over her heart. That was the first time Vanessa had ever identified her as her mother with words. Tears of joy prickled at her eyes as she bent to kiss her forehead. "You are very welcome, Vanessa," she choked out with a smile.

Vanessa squealed at the kiss and slapped the cake, digging in with her hand, then tried to share with Regina by smearing it down her face.

Regina laughed and shook her head, then went off to the bathroom to wash her face.

6:45 PM, Sunday, January 21, 1996

When it had been a while since Regina had disappeared, Graham went to go find her out of curiosity. Maybe concern. Mostly curiosity.

He made his way up the stairs, and heard what sounded like muffled crying, coming from the bedroom rather than the bathroom.

Graham knocked lightly on the doorframe, since Regina had left the door wide open.

Regina jumped at the sound, not expecting to be found, but not surprised at who it was.

"Sorry to startle you," Graham apologized. "Are those happy tears?"

"Yes!" Regina answered too quickly. "No," she admitted. "Maybe! I don't know! Today's Vanessa's first birthday and that's the first time she's called me Mama." She hugged the pillow on her lap tightly. "She's one already. I'm not ready. She's so big now, and that year went by so fast. She's growing up too fast!"

Graham moved to sit next to her on the bed, pulling her into a hug. "You're going to be just as amazing with her this next year, if not even better."

"But... She's just going to keep getting bigger and bigger. I miss my 6 pounds, 7 ounces little baby girl. I love her so much, Graham. Harder than I even realized I could." Regina leaned into him, choking on her tears.

Graham wasn't entirely sure what to say to that. Instead of responding directly, he offered, "I'll stay with you until you're ready to get back to the party - if... That's alright?"

Regina sniffled. "Okay." He was the one that had gotten her into this whole mess anyway, and honestly the least embarrassing person that could have found her.

A startling thought entered Regina's mind. Perhaps one child wouldn't actually be enough for her. Maybe.

Or maybe she was just crazy.


End file.
